The energy sector has reached a pivotal moment: artificial intelligence is no longer a speculative technology but a core, strategic capability essential for navigating the grid’s complex future. This shift from pilot projects to commercialisation and fundamental business readiness was the dominant undercurrent at last month’s Enlit Europe 2025 in Bilbao - Europe’s largest energy technology gathering.
The event, hosting over 15,000 professionals and 700 organisations, served as a powerful barometer for the industry. While themes of grid congestion, electrification, and decarbonisation remain urgent, the conversation has decisively turned to how to operationalise AI at scale. The consensus is clear: AI’s potential to transform the energy value chain is now being actively engineered into products, processes, and strategies.
Here are the five key takeaways that define this new phase of adoption:
The discussion has moved beyond "if" AI works to "how it creates value." From Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) in Germany to global SaaS platform providers, organisations are focusing on leveraging their AI investments to build tangible new products and services for customers. AI is becoming a revenue driver and a differentiator, not just an internal efficiency tool.
A mature dialogue is emerging around the integration of AI agents with human teams. Companies are consciously navigating a maturity curve - progressing from "agent-in-the-loop" (assisting humans) to "human-in-the-loop" (overseeing AI) and towards fully agentic systems with strategic human oversight. This structured approach aims to augment capabilities while managing the transition of roles and responsibilities.
The energy system, with its fragmented value chain and myriad actors, is ideal for agentic AI - autonomous systems that can perform tasks, make decisions, and collaborate. Use cases showcased at Enlit ranged from agents orchestrating responses to critical infrastructure events to "agentic co-workers" managing heavy-lifting in customer operations, signalling a move towards more autonomous, intelligent grid management.
As a high-risk sector, energy faces a complex regulatory environment. The EU’s Apply AI strategy and the EU Cloud and AI Development Act were highlighted as welcome frameworks intended to facilitate safe adoption. However, a clear theme was the need for proportional, agile governance that protects without stifling the innovation required to meet the pace of the energy transition.
Perhaps the most telling shift from just a few years ago. AI/ML is no longer a fringe topic but is now viewed as a fundamental business capability - akin to cybersecurity or data analytics. This is driving a strategic focus on internal skills development and enablement programs, ensuring organisations build the core competency needed to thrive in an AI-augmented future.
Enlit Europe 2025 in Bilbao underscored a profound transition. The energy industry, traditionally cautious with new technology, is now embracing AI as a foundational pillar for its future. The challenge is no longer about recognising the opportunity but about executing at scale - commercialising applications, integrating agents thoughtfully, adapting to regulation, and fundamentally upskilling the workforce. For enterprises across the energy value chain, the message is unequivocal: building AI maturity is no longer optional; it is the key to resilience, efficiency, and leading the charge in the global energy transition.
Mesh-AI partners with energy enterprises to navigate this exact journey - transforming AI potential into strategic, operational reality. Connect with us to explore how.
